


Rivals and Boyfriends

by CloversDreams



Category: Black Clover - 田畠裕基 | Tabata Yuki
Genre: Admiration, Alls Well That Ends In A Polyship, Fluff, Hot Spring, M/M, Multi, OT3, Realization of Feelings, Travelling together, Yuno has a thing for loud dorks, and that’s ok, misinterpretation of feelings, rivals to boyfriends, that are still rivals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-06 01:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17930405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: Yuno and Asta made plans to visit Hage village since they hadn’t been there in a while.On their way out of town the pair were halted by a familiar yell. Not that such a thing was uncommon in his life but Yuno had a deadpan expression on his face as the fiery redhead approached them with a grin that spread across his face. Leopold struck up a conversation with Asta and started to ask all sorts of questions about their destination. Yuno stood there quietly as Asta explained how they were going home for a little while because they missed everyone. He gave the expected agreeable nod when the redhead looked his way.Before he even knew what had happened the pair of loudmouths had somehow come to an agreement that it would be a great idea for Leopold to join them and they were on their way again.





	Rivals and Boyfriends

 

Yuno sat down and let the warm water of the hot spring work its magic. He let his eyes fall shut and had to hold back a content sigh. The spring was so warm that it was almost too hot, and that was incredibly soothing on his sore muscles. It was just what he needed. He could get used to something like this. Maybe he’d have his home built near a natural hot spring once he finally became the Wizard King. It would be great to use such whenever he felt like it. He could just imagine how jealous his so-called rivals would be.

The corner of his mouth twitched at the thought. It didn’t take much effort to hold back the smile since he was already so relaxed and that would require too much exertion on his end. He just wanted to enjoy the calm atmosphere. His tranquility only lasted for a moment, however. All of a sudden there came the sound of two excited yells followed by obnoxious splashes. Yuno squeezed his eyes shut and frowned as hot water hit him in the face. It was too bad he couldn’t live in that one moment of peace he’d had just a little longer.

He reached up and wiped the dripping water off of his face before he finally opened his eyes. He wore a flat, disapproving expression as he turned to look at the source of the disruption. His traveling companions, Asta and Leopold, were in the middle of yelling excitedly at one another. He knew that was how the pair attempted to have what was their version of a normal conversation. Loudly. They did _everything_ loudly. He honestly didn’t know how they didn’t exhaust themselves. He blinked slowly at the boisterous pair.

Yuno was sure that to others it would seem odd that he found himself with these specific companions considering he was a member of the elite Golden Dawn. They weren’t exactly known for how they liked to mingle. Even Leopold’s status as both a Crimson Lion and a noble didn’t seem to keep people from judging him because he got along so well with a pair of commoners. Not that the guy cared. He was the first one to scream about how they were rivals, which only got Asta yelling too. The two caused a scene without breaking a sweat.

Commoners. The term had taken on such a different meaning for him these days. It made even less sense to him now that he’d schmoozed with those that thought themselves to be his superior. Yuno knew that few people had the drive and determination that he and Asta did. It kept him striving for greater heights as well.

They’d achieved more than anyone thought either of them could in the short time they’d been on their Magic Knight squads. It made their captains look good but Yuno knew it was because of their own personal drive to succeed that they did. He knew plenty of ‘superior’ people that were more like human garbage. He never said as much as he observed but it quickly became clear that they had very extreme differences in morals among other things.

Through thick and thin his admiration of Asta and all that he accomplished never faded. In fact, it only seemed to grow. Any time he heard about the Black Bulls doing something incredible he would have to hold back a smug smile. He just knew that Asta had something or other to do with it. That was just the kind of person he was. He drew others to him and then inspired them with his excessively loud determination. Yuno knew that more than anyone else. He saw just how much it irked his fellow Golden Dawn members to hear about the deeds the Black Bulls did and he was inwardly satisfied about that. They should all be worried because none of them were good enough to become the next Wizard King. There were only two options for that position and he already knew that he would do everything in his power to take that spot. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Asta’s face.

Yuno found that he was glad to know that Leopold wasn’t like the majority of the nobles. Actually, most Crimson Lions seemed to be more level headed than the other squads. They were willing to see past the circumstances of his and Asta’s births. They saw people that had been worthy of getting picked for a Magic Knight squad. They saw people that were worthy of their rivalry. In fact, Leopold boasted about that constantly. He seemed more than happy to know the pair, and he didn’t care who they were before they’d met. It had really been a whirlwind of a time since they’d left home.

To be perfectly honest, Yuno almost couldn’t tell anyone how the three of them had ended up traveling together since it all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. When he thought back on it, he realized that he didn’t get much say in the matter, either. After Fuegoleon awoke from his coma, there seemed like there was nothing but an endless slew of meetings. It was all work all the time and everyone was extremely stressed out because of it. The former captain didn’t immediately resume his post, ether. He left his sister in charge and took some personal time to recuperate. Understandably so, of course.

It was upon _his_ suggestion that their respective captains decided to give the three of them some time off as well. Yuno, Asta, and Leopold were shocked. None of them liked the idea at first, but in the end they all really needed it. They’d been working themselves to the bone practically non-stop since they’d joined their squads. They each came to realize that a minute to take a breather wasn’t such a bad idea.

Yuno and Asta quickly made plans to visit Hage village since they hadn’t been there in a while. Familiar faces and smiles were always a great source of comfort to the both of them. They couldn’t wait to see how some of the smaller children had grown. They’d also decided to bring some delicious candies for everyone as an extra special treat. It was stuff like they’d probably never seen before and they couldn’t wait to see the kids’ amazement.

On their way out of town the pair were halted by a familiar yell. Not that such a thing was uncommon in his life but Yuno had a deadpan expression on his face as the fiery redhead approached them with a grin that spread across his face. Leopold struck up a conversation with Asta and started to ask all sorts of questions about their destination. Yuno stood there quietly as Asta explained how they were going home for a little while because they missed everyone. He gave the expected agreeable nod when the redhead looked his way.

Before he even knew what had happened the pair of loudmouths had somehow come to an agreement that it would be a great idea for Leopold to join them and they were on their way again. To be perfectly honest, Yuno hadn’t been a fan of the idea. It was a trip that he and Asta were supposed to make together, just like when they’d left home. They could catch up, and tease one another, and all that stuff they’d missed out on since they were on different squads. That was sort of the whole point of it. This extra person was unnecessary and such a hassle to deal with. Or so he thought at first, anyway.

As they continued on their journey, he got to watch the pair interact. He got to study this boy and his mannerisms since they were so in his face. He came to realize that Leopold shared a lot of the same qualities as Asta. Whether that was a good or bad thing was entirely up to the person interpreting it. To Yuno, those qualities were a good thing. They were part of what had made Asta so special even back when they were children. He found that they caused a soft feeling in his chest. Not that he had a soft spot for Asta or anything, nope. It was his drive, determination, fearlessness, and even a bit of his stubbornness that he had a soft spot for. Yeah.

The road home didn’t seem nearly as daunting as it had been when they’d left. Things that might’ve posed them a little threat, such as wild beasts, were no match for any of them alone. The fact that there were three of them made it ridiculous for any creature to try and start anything. It would be knocked out before it even began its charge. At least they ate well on their journey.

Good food, decent enough company, and a warm fire were some of the highest rated things in Yuno’s mind. As their journey together continued, he kept on observing the pair. He interacted with them when absolutely necessary, which was more often than he would’ve liked as they kept trying to get his opinion on every topic of conversation. Though he knew it didn’t look like it on the outside, part of him deep down was glad to be included. It made his stomach flutter to know that they never forgot about him no matter how into the conversation they became.

Once they reached Hage, Yuno found himself even more surprised by their travel companion. He’d already known that Leopold was nothing like the other nobles they’d come across, but he certainly wasn’t prepared to find out that he was great with kids. The children immediately took a liking to him and his outgoing personality, all while teasing Asta about bringing home his own replacement. Of course that just made Asta yell that he was irreplaceable and they’d all see when he was the Wizard King.

Yuno rolled his eyes and scoffed to himself then looked back at Leopold with great interest. The redhead put on magic shows for the children with his fire spells and laughed as their little eyes sparkled in awe since Asta’s would also do the same. Eventually the white-haired boy was sitting with the children and cheering him on alongside them. Yuno smiled at the sight. He had to admit that it was really nice to see everyone in such high spirits and since Leopold was part of the reason for such, his opinion of the guy got a little bit better.

 

It wasn’t until a few days later that Yuno’s opinion of Leopold finally did a complete 180. It had been very early in the morning when a group of thugs attacked the village indiscriminately. Yuno leaped out of bed and ran towards the commotion only to find that in lieu of attacking the enemy, Leopold had made sure to shield the frightened children who had accidentally got caught in the crossfire. He never stopped smiling as he assured them that everything would be all right. Yuno and Asta made quick work of knocking the bad guys out and then tying them up for questioning later. Once that was dealt with, they finally turned their attention to the frightened kids.

They were relieved to find that there wasn’t a scratch on a single one of them. That was more than could be said about Leopold, however. He’d blocked the thugs’ attacks with his body. Injured or not, he never wiped that stupid smile off his face. Yuno’s sense of admiration for the guy skyrocketed and it made his chest feel weird. Though he wasn’t about to admit such a thing. He simply frowned and demanded that Leopold come with him to see Sister Lily and get patched up.

They left Asta to entertain the children and headed to find her. Yuno wanted to say something to the redhead about how he didn’t have to do what he did and that he was glad that he didn’t get hurt too badly. In the end all he could manage was a soft mutter of thanks, which the redhead quickly laughed off. Yuno stuck around as Leopold was tended to. The guy didn’t seem to mind it one bit as Sister Lily patched up his wounds. In fact, he seemed rather amused by it all. He kept on laughing and talking about how he didn’t even get to show those guys what he was really capable of. He bragged about how he could’ve taken on double the amount in different circumstances.

Yuno watched this in silent awe. He swore he could actually see Asta in place of the redhead. The pair really did share some of the best qualities and there was nothing anyone could say to convince him otherwise. For some reason that thought made his heart flutter slightly in his chest. He frowned and put his hand over it. Maybe he still had a bit of adrenaline left in his system from earlier.

When Leopold turned towards him and grinned like he didn’t have a care in the world, Yuno felt his cheeks darken slightly. It was such an idiotic expression but somehow it was also endearing. He grunted and turned away from the redhead. He fought the urge to put his hand on his own warm cheek. That certainly was odd. He hadn’t felt something like that happen since back when he and Asta were kids. He had no idea why the heck it would happen again now of all times.

 

It was a few days later when Yuno was relaxing beneath his old favorite tree that he was suddenly disturbed by a familiar yell. Again. That happened a lot since he’d started traveling with the two loudest people in the world. Considering all the years he’d known the guy, he couldn’t be sure why the heck he jumped at the sound of Asta’s voice anymore. It was always abrupt and ear piercing no matter the situation. Maybe he’d really been into the book in his lap.

“Yuno, there you are! Fight us!” Asta yelled as enthusiastically as ever.

“Not now, Asta… wait what do you mean _us_?” Yuno looked up from his book and saw the pair of ridiculous boys with confident smiles upon their faces. They both had their hands balled into fists and their eyes sparkled with anticipation as they waited for his response. Something told him that those looks only meant trouble. For a long moment, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to smack the looks off their faces or something else entirely.

“Yeah! You versus us!” Leopold added for good measure.

“You two can’t be serious,” Yuno replied. He blinked slowly as he looked from one overly enthusiastic expression to the other. It was clear just by those faces alone that the pair were, in fact, quite serious about the challenge. He had to wonder if either of them ever thought before they acted. Would they have even made it to the village had he not been with them for the journey? They probably would’ve gotten distracted by something stupid and then gotten lost.

Leopold pumped a fist in the air as he shouted, “Come on and show us what that four-leaf clover grimoire of yours can really do! I’ve been dying to see it!”

“I would, except this is a weighted fight, which isn’t very fair,” Yuno replied flatly.

“Ohh, you’re not scared of a little extra pressure, are you?” Leopold asked with a laugh. He continued to grin as he watched the other boy.

Yuno closed his book and set it aside then stood up. He brushed the dirt off of himself, and when he was satisfied that he was all clean he looked at the pair once more. He held his chin in the air as a cocky smirk spread across his face and he said, “I meant it was weighted in _my_ favor. The two of you don’t stand a chance.”

“Heck yes we do! You’re going down Yuno!” Asta exclaimed as he pulled his sword out of his grimoire and charged. He let out a battle cry as he practically flew towards the other boy.

“We’re unstoppable when we work together!” Leopold yelled in agreement as he cast a fire spell to join Asta’s assault.

“Sylph,” Yuno mumbled without batting an eye. If these two were that desperate to see his power up close and personal, so be it. He raised his hand and motioned towards the pair as he readied for his attack. There was a little smile upon his face that he couldn’t seem to do anything about. These two really brought out a strange array of emotions in him. Not that it mattered. He would show them that his threats had never been idol here and now. He kept his chin in the air and muttered the first spell he wanted to cast.

 

Not even fifteen minutes later, the three of them were in the kitchen with Asta and Leopold getting some minor wounds tended to by Sister Lily. She shook her head at the lot of them. Yuno would’ve felt bad about wiping the floor with the pair if they weren’t so stinking excited about it. Neither of them flinched as medicinal balm was applied and they were bandaged up. In fact, they only seemed to smile wider. He didn’t get them in the slightest.

Asta looked like he was about to explode as he waited for Sister Lily to move on and tend to the redhead next to him. Once he had the room, he pumped his fist in the air and exclaimed, “Man, Yuno, that was awesome!”

“It sure was! The way you used your wind to send my fire right back at us like that! We barely had a chance to avoid it!” Leopold laughed loudly as he nodded in agreement. He hissed softly when Sister Lily applied a little extra pressure to his burned arm.

Asta’s eyes sparkled like jewels as he yelled, “Right! We totally could’ve died if not for my sword! He’s gotten so much stronger it’s amazing!”

“Sure is- _ow_!” Leopold grunted when he was bonked on the head roughly. He turned towards Asta to see that he’d gotten the same treatment from one smiling Sister. The way her eye twitched even though it was closed said everything about how she felt about the situation.

Sister Lily didn’t need to explain. She continued to smile as she turned towards Yuno and hummed, “Please be careful with these two, they don’t know their own limits.”

“I think you’re wrong about that,” Yuno mused. He had a soft smile upon his face as he added, “I think they know exactly what their limits are and they seek to surpass them, which is admirable.”

Yuno grunted softly when he also received a bonk on the head. He stood there with his usual stoic expression as he was suddenly on the receiving end of a lecture about how he shouldn’t encourage those two. Weirdly enough, Sister Lily talked about Leopold as if he’d also grown up with the rest of them. It was actually a bit uncanny how he just fit right in like that. The guy simply made sense in their lives.

Once the pair were bandaged and they were all thoroughly lectured, the three of them left in a hurry. They headed out to one of Asta’s old favorite training spots to spend the afternoon there. Leopold was in absolute awe of the demon bones when he finally saw them. He’d heard tales of them but had never seen them in person before. He was as excited as a little kid as he talked about how he heard about the statue that was atop it and wanted to see that too. Yuno and Asta promised to show him that later. For now, they wanted to stay out of sight and away from everyone so that they forgot about the earlier incident.

Both Yuno and Leopold spent longer than necessary watching in awe as Asta described how he’d trained his body to be so tough. Sure, Yuno already knew about it but that didn’t make it any less incredible. He knew that his own body would never have been able to take the kind of punishment Asta’s did. In fact, he wasn’t sure anyone’s could. His resilience was astounding.

Later that afternoon they all scaled the demon skull so Leopold could finally see the statute that perched atop it. Both of the two loudmouths started to go on about how much they loved the tale about how the demon was vanquished. Yuno simply stood there and smiled to himself. How the heck they were both so childish yet so adorable was beyond him.

He turned his head towards the horizon then made a soft sound. When the pair looked in his direction he motioned towards the beautiful purples and pinks that looked like they’d been painted across the sky. The three of them settled down next to the statue of the Wizard King while they watched the sunset. Yuno had never felt more at peace. He had no idea he could have such a memorable moment with his two traveling companions around. He was certainly glad to have experienced it.

They spent the next few days in Hage village and by the time they had to go, Yuno had come to the conclusion that he rather liked Leopold. Probably as much as he did Asta, which was saying something. He didn’t like anyone the way he did his oldest and dearest and most ridiculous friend. At least he hadn’t before. This trip had been a real eye opener. He was glad that the redhead had come along after all. He did regret attempting to say that to Leopold himself since he basically ended up in a headlock while the guy laughed loudly and yelled that he was great. Whether the ‘he’ meant himself or Yuno might never come to light.

 

After the three of them said their goodbyes to everyone in the village they promised to come back for another visit soon. Then they began their return journey to the kingdom. Only not really. They’d already agreed that it’d be good to stop at a hot spring on the way back. The little extra bit of relaxation could be nice. They’d ended up doing a bit of manual labor to help out the village during their visit, so it hadn’t exactly been the vacation they’d needed. None of them minded it, but they all agreed it was only right to do something for themselves on the way home.

That was where the three of them currently were and he was glad. Yuno sank back against the wall of the hot spring and sighed softly as he let his eyes fall shut. He tuned out the other two to the best of his ability. It was nice. He didn’t know why he didn’t do things like this more often.

“We’ve all certainly come a long way since the first time we were in a hot spring together,” Asta laughed. He turned towards the chuckling redhead and added, “That was when you declared us both your rivals, remember?”

“Of course I do and I’d do the same thing again in a heartbeat!” Leopold laughed loudly.

“You two haven’t changed a bit,” Yuno added his two cents. He kept his eyes shut but continued to listen to their little back and forth. He kept the thought that it wasn’t a bad thing that they hadn’t changed to himself.

“We have! I’ll show you! Fight me, Yuno!” Asta immediately exclaimed.

Yuno didn’t even bother to open his eyes as he replied, “Not a chance. I’m relaxing.”

“Fighting is relaxing!” Asta yelled.

“No, it isn’t.” Yuno disagreed.

“All right, I’ve decided!” Leopold declared at the top of his lungs, interrupting the pair. He was on his feet a millisecond later. He was completely unashamed as he stood there naked and dripping wet. Actually, he looked rather proud of himself to be honest.

Both Asta and Yuno turned towards him at the sound of his outburst. They simply blinked as they waited for him to continue. The redhead had a wild grin on his face as he looked at the two of them. It was accompanied by his usual fierce determination in his eyes that he usually had when he made a decision that he was proud of.

They glanced at one another for a moment before they looked back at him again, not at all phased by his nudity. This wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this since they’d been traveling together, and it wouldn’t be the last. He was just like that and neither of them were particularly bothered by it.

"Decided what, Leo?” Asta had to ask. The suspense probably would’ve killed him if he’d waited any longer. He hummed softly with his excitement, clearly hoping that the other boy was going to challenge him to a fight.

“You two are now my boyfriends!” Leopold yelled as he pointed at the surprised pair. They both had the same shocked looks upon their faces and it only caused his grin to grow. That confident fire still shined in his eyes as if he knew this was the right decision and wouldn’t hear anyone say otherwise.

“You can’t just–” Yuno started but was almost immediately cut off by Asta’s outburst.

“What!” Asta shrieked in disbelief. He also jumped to his feet and stood there dripping wet, not the least bit concerned about his own nudity. Again, this wasn’t a shock since he also had no shame. He balled his hands into fists and shook them in the air as he yelled, “Does this mean that we’re no longer your rivals!?”

“Of course not!” Leopold laughed loudly. He put his hands on his hips and continued to grin as he added, “That’s what makes our relationship so great! We’re both rivals  _and_ boyfriends! We’ll both support and challenge each other to reach new heights until one of us is the Wizard King!”

“Ohh!” Asta’s eyes sparkled and he nodded enthusiastically. He brought his balled-up fists to his chest and shook them excitedly. His voice was practically a squeal as he yelled, “Yeah! Sounds great!”

“Does it really, though?” Yuno muttered under his breath. He knew that neither of them were paying him any mind so they didn’t even notice. The very idea of them dating was so… idiotic. He’d never even consider it. He didn’t feel that way about either of them. All he needed in the world was himself.

Even as Yuno thought it, he knew it wasn’t true. Not with the excited way his heart had fluttered when he’d heard Leopold’s declaration. Not with how his breath hitched in his throat when he realized that Asta was actually on board with the idea. He thought back to all the little moments that had made their trip together special to him and quickly realized he was in way too deep with the pair. They’d gotten under his skin somewhere along the way and he actually _did_ have feelings for the both of them. He didn’t know how the others had figured that out before he had for himself. That was embarrassing to say the least.

Leopold tilted his head and then winked one eye while he exclaimed, “When I’m the Wizard King, I’ll make sure the two of you have great lives! I’ll take care of you both until you’re old and grey just stick with me!”

“I think you mean when _I’m_ the Wizard King, I’ll do those things!” Asta immediately retorted. He was right back to gesturing wildly with both hands for emphasis as he added, “I’ll even buy us a huge castle to live in! One with a giant courtyard for sparring!”

Yuno sighed to himself and then shook his head. He absolutely refused to acknowledge the little smile that he had on his face because of the other two and their ridiculous enthusiasm. His apparent boyfriends continued to try and yell over one another excitedly and he had to wonder just what this new relationship of his would do to his hearing in the end. He looked at the pair that had just started to arm wrestle on the edge of the bath to settle a disagreement then huffed softly to himself. As if that would somehow determine who would actually be the Wizard King in the end. What fools. Endearing fools, but fools nonetheless.

He rolled his eyes when he saw Leopold lean forwards suddenly and kiss the tip of Asta’s nose. The white-haired boy yelped as his entire face turned red and he let go of the other’s hand then flailed his limbs in surprise. Leopold cheered and held both his hands in the air as he declared himself victorious. He cheered about how he was the most likely to become the Wizard King at the top of his lungs.

Yuno held up a hand to block the oncoming splash after Asta yelled that the redhead was a cheater and then tackled him into the water. The pair resurfaced with Leopold holding Asta in a headlock and laughing loudly about it. The guy was really good at getting people into those. Yuno had to wonder if it was because he was a youngest sibling. He turned his head away from the two of them so they wouldn’t notice the way he smiled softly to himself at their antics. If it meant being with these two dorks more often, he supposed that a bit of hearing loss could be worth it.

“I’m sure our squads’ reactions to the news that we’re dating will be interesting to say the least.” Yuno muttered mostly to himself. Though he was sure that they’d be understanding for the most part, if not a tad bit confused. There were bound to be a few overreactions and a whole bunch of questions. He wasn’t even sure that he’d have any actual answers.

Asta paused his struggling to declare, “Oh, man, that’s right! Do we really have to head back to three different squads now? That stinks!”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Asta! Our rivalries will only grow alongside our feelings!” Leopold assured him as he gave him a quick noogie. He laughed when the other boy yelped then finally released him.

Yuno watched the pair yell in agreement before they started to argue about whose heart would grow the fondest during their time apart. He held back a chuckle as he smiled to himself. Yet again the pair had him smiling like a goofball while his chest filled with warmth. He had to wonder if they had a spell on him or something. In the end, he supposed that the butterflies in his gut were a surefire sign that they did.

It was actually a shame that this had happened at the end of their vacation since that didn’t give them any time to try and figure it out. There was a lot they needed to sit down and discuss. Although, he supposed it all really came down to the simple fact that they all liked each other and wanted to spend more time together. There was no need to overly complicate things. He watched the pair of loud boys fondly for a moment before he finally said, “Next time we all have the same day off, let’s go on a proper date.”

“Yeah!” Asta and Leopold exclaimed at the same time. They then began to try and yell potential date ideas over one another and Yuno simply chuckled to himself then shook his head.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Im so happy the hot spring scene is animated now!! It’s the one that got me to ship these three in the manga lolllll. Now in ode to that I dug this wip up and fixed it up and have officially dipped my toe into this fandom!
> 
> I had to create the ship tag… Sob… how do I always end up with the pairs like that? 
> 
> I love these three together so much <3<3<3
> 
> Plz feel free to talk to me about this trio as much as youd like! Here or my tumblr it really doesnt matter! I haven’t seen any content for them since I started shipping it and would love to find others that think theyd be great together


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